


Blood Moon Tide

by atroniascreamsube



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender, Haikyuu!!
Genre: ANGST AT YOUR OWN RISK, AU, Angst, Bender Characters, Bloodbending (Avatar), Hanamaki Takehiro - Freeform, Imprisonment, Iwaizumi Hajime - Freeform, M/M, Major character death - Freeform, Making Out, POW Camps, PTSD, Raids, Teen love, kyoutani kentarou - Freeform, matsukawa issei - Freeform, oikawa tooru - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-29
Updated: 2020-11-29
Packaged: 2021-03-10 06:27:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,444
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27769768
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/atroniascreamsube/pseuds/atroniascreamsube
Summary: The Crown Prince Oikawa Tooru of Southern Water Tribe has been always been contented living peacefully in isolation until the Fire Nation attacked. As he makes his last stand from the unceasing conquer to their tribulations as a P.O.W., the blood shed by his comrades becomes a weapon of his unmaking."Where there is life, there is water."
Relationships: Iwaizumi Hajime/Oikawa Tooru
Comments: 6
Kudos: 19
Collections: Gensou no Karasu





	Blood Moon Tide

**Author's Note:**

> As I was binging on ATLA during the quarantine, Hama's backstory somehow caught my attention as it seems to have a lot of unanswered questions like "Why didn't Hama went home?" or "Where are the other benders." So I pretty much repeated the episode and see some details that I miss. Basically this fic is like my theories to those unanswered questions. 
> 
> If you wonder why I chose Oikawa as Hama, I think his aggressive plays in Haikyuu can be a great parallel to the Southern-style waterbending and the harsh nature of bloodbending itself.
> 
> Be warned, prepare some tissues.

**_69-70 AG_ **

“Hey,” A gruff voice slowly made its way to his ears yet he refused o yield to it as the young prince decided to toss instead. “Wake up you princely shithead!” 

The thick blankets that gave their warmth suddenly were stripped away, the shivering South Pole chill blanketing his being.

“Gyah! Iwa-chan!” The pale brunette whined from the sudden loss of warmth only to be greeted with an intense glare from his raven- haired best friend that’s bound to give more chills than any other climate will ever give Prince Toru. 

“What Iwa-chan are you talking about, Crappykawa? It’s getting late and your pretty face won’t feed us.” Hajime Iwaizumi, fondly called by Prince Toru as Iwa-chan, sneered at his whining. True to Oikawa fashion, the brunette grinned at him. 

“My my!” Oikawa giggled, “I don’t mind waking up to being called pretty by Iwa-chan every single day!” Iwaizumi just rolled his eyes from the response, “Why do I even have to wake you up every single day even when the sun’s burning your eyelids?” 

  
  
“It’s because you love me, Iwa-chan!” Toru snickered, sticking out his tongue in response. 

“In your dreams.” Hajime scoffed at whatever his best friend was trying to do to escape his chores. 

“So,” Toru puts on his socks, “Are we going hunting or fishing today Iwa?”

“Kyoutani, Kindaichi, Yahaba, Mattsun and Makki would like to run around instead of staying on boats.” Iwazumi replied, gathering up Oikawa’s hunting gear hidden somewhere in his messy closet as Toru layered up. “I can already see Kunimi sighing as he can’t just sit around just like when we fish,” then clicked his tongue from the sheer amount of shiny stones he keeps on flinging out of the storage. 

He had always taken care of Oikawa for as long as he remembered—Toru always found himself getting into a lot of trouble from not waking up by himself to kicking him in the shins to remind him of how overworking yourself to master waterbending isn’t such a great idea. It’s not like he minds though but it had him thinking.  _ What if one day I won’t be around to take care of him?  _ He was snapped out of his thoughts upon that familiar high-pitched whine. “Iwaaaa! Don’t you throw my pretty shiny stones away!” 

The whine was silenced by the same glare he gave earlier, “If it weren’t for these stones, I would not have found the flint I’m looking for. ” Hajime stood up and gathered both of their spears, traps and other gear. 

“You really are trashy, Trashykawa.” 

“Oh, I’m not!” Oikawa pouts at the term. 

Hajime walked to the door but not without shooting a deadpan glance at his buddy then smirks, “You really are if you don’t get out of your room.” 

“I’m not!"

* * *

The sun’s up and shining with the citizens going on and about their daily activities—men either loading up on their fishing or hunting gear or help in constructing weapons and houses as their loss of contact to the Northern tribe made them more self-sufficient; women were carrying basketful of various fishes, sea prunes they harvested or curing the leopard seal pelt for their clothing. Meanwhile, the children are busy building forts and playing as usual while he didn’t miss the looks that the tribeswomen of their age. He’s definitely an eye candy with his smile and his pretty face which further bolsters his reputation in the tribe, but he’ll have to put off responding to those girls  _ for now _ to deal with the snickering devils awaiting for them.

“Took you two so long!” the short cropped hair Hanamaki greeted the duo from the distance. The messy haired Matsukawa chortles “Did we interrupt His Majesty’s beauty sleep? I see the girls think he’s a NOT today.” “I’m nooooot!” Oikawa pouts and pretends to be annoyed which further earn round of laughter from the group except Kyotani just huffing and the ever sleepy Kunimi who looked like he wished to do something else. “Why do we even have to hunt today?” Kunimi yawns looking wistfully elsewhere to which Kindaichi places his hand on his shoulder “Well seems like the chief wanted to have more meat rather than fish today. I mean who wouldn’t want more meat?”

“Why don’t we make it into a contest to change the tempo for once?” the light-brown haired Yahaba suggests and smirks. The tan skinhead’s, Watari, eyes had a glint of mischief “Ooo I like that! How about whose group gets the most amount of game would be the ones to treat everyone to that Uncle’s seaweed noodles?” a grin appears on the elder males in the group from that response “I’ll get mine with extra noodles then,” Makki chortles “Mine would be extra dumplings on the side.” Mattsun raises his brow in confidence knowing of his prowess. “So that means my group is me, Iwa, Oikawa, Makki and Kindaichi.” 

Yahaba screeches from the division “Wha- no fair! You got the strong ones!” “Oh but you got Kyotani, the mad polar bear dog, with you who’s probably gonna hunt more than a regular polar bear dog.” Matsukawa smirks once more hoping it would rile up his underclassman in which the hmph’s gave him satisfaction. They all gave each other a hearty laugh from the banter. It has always been a sight to behold Oikawa. Gods, he’s always glad we wakes up every day to see these morons ribbing and playing with each other.

“Well,” Oikawa beams to pick up the equipment they dropped from laughter “Let’s get going--” but as soon as he gathered the spears it dropped again with the booming laughter abruptly halted. “What’s wrong?” the prince inquires only for his chocolate brown eyes to widen—the flurry of snow turned into **black** which soon enough made everyone stopped on their tracks. 

Falling snow has and always been white. What kind of pandemonium has the spirits unleashed for them to experience the black snow? The group running towards the battlements felt all too surreal for Oikawa deep in thoughts as Iwaizumi dragged him. Gray clouds loomed over the horizon but what they saw next was something to behold—the gray clouds turned out to be large amounts of smoke emitted from the numerous Fire Nation ships coming towards them but nothing prepared them from the numerous fireballs catapulted to their direction.

**_“AMBUSH!!!”_ **

* * *

That night, almost everyone huddled at the chief’s house visibly shaken up while others are yet to process whatever happened to them this morning. Good thing that Oikawa and the group managed to stop the fireballs by catching and freezing them with fireballs to minimize the property damage on their area as the rest of the warriors and the waterbenders scrambled for their defenses. They managed to drive out a lot of the ships by sundown and incapacitated a lot of fire nation soldiers.

But it was not a fight where no blood was shed as some of their nonbending warriors passed away while a few of their waterbenders were captured instead. The solemn silence was broken by the Chief “My family, what has happened to day was the day we feared already arriving.” They look to him reverence as he continues to speak “The Fire Nation has tried and tried to invade the North Pole for decades after the tribes decry of the Air Nomads’ annihilation and if my hypothesis is correct, they might be thinking that the avatar might already been born in either tribes.” 

_ But the last cycle of a water tribe avatar came from the Northern Water Tribe.  _ Tooru muses upon hearing his father’s hypothesis. “Father,” he calls to his Father now giving a quizzed look “If I may be allowed to share my thoughts. Have you also wondered why they captured our waterbenders instead of killing them?” The whole room went silent upon hearing those words with a single thought everyone has in their mind.

_ “What if they were here to capture all of the waterbenders?”  _

“But,” Toru stands up commanding similar attention as his father did “We have thought of strategies that could help eliminate the incoming threats but I would need brave souls to help me with this dangerous task.” All of the sudden, all of his friends stood up even the sluggish Kunimi volunteered as well. “You really are an idiot at times are you? Of course we’ll be here to be with you! ”Iwaizumi scoffs at his best friend’s shocked face which turns into a smile “Aww, Iwa-chan you’re so mmf” Oikawa was super happy as he tried to hug his bff only to meet his hand pushing him away.

Oikawa Tooru, the only son of the current chief Oikawa, is the heir apparent to the chiefdom of Seijoh but despite his princely image lies not only skillful bender of the Southern style but his ability to bring out the best of anyone under his command. Iwaizumi Hajime’s, his closest friend since childhood, ability is unparalleled for his strength and tenacity in battles.

“Okay then,” Tooru’s voice dropped then looks at them “I believe in you.”

Though the techniques were precarious, they produced fog that would mix with the soot then multiple spikes appear to sink the ships. Then, giant tentacles would swoop in to push them off the deck, freezing them. Other times, they would use giant waves that the strongest five of them produced after using that pushed them away.  With the fearsome moves, they managed to put numerous battalions of ships in their direction for weeks but at the cost of some lives like Watari and Kunimi as a result, no ships appeared for weeks which made the rest of the tribe relieved, but to Oikawa he felt like there was something else ahead and the calm before the storm left the remaining members behind unsettled.

Indeed, the worst was  _ yet  _ to come.

They knew that they cannot keep on holding all of the ships forever. At one point the ailing Chief and elders were offering their finest livestock and praying to the spirits that somehow there is an end to this horrifying tribulation.

However, this short period of peace or rather ceasefire was taken away from them as more ships came from the distance. It was just as ferocious as the previous ships yet the flag had another insignia—sea ravens, the symbol of the newly formed Southern Raiders. Unlike the previous ships getting direct communication from the Fire Lord, this regiment has given autonomy to raid the Southern Water Tribe however they wish.

Despite the elite regiment enacted continuous raids, the men and women of the Southern tribe continued to battle on, capsizing other ships and freezing one of them to the ground. The valor and perseverance of these people, whom Oikawa called family, did not see through as their numbers dwindle: Kindaichi and Yahaba joined with their other friends; Matsukawa and Hanamaki got captured with much resistance then Kyotani the last of their friends.

Broken spears, destroyed houses, decimated walls and dried up ochre splotches marred through the fluffy white snow. Groans of the injured; the wails of the orphans and widows and the silence of death echoed and blended into the cacophony of the village’s landscape laid to waste- its former grandeur now leveled into dust.

In bandages, Chief Oikawa gathers the remaining able-bodied fighters to the war council after calling upon his brothers and sisters praying in solemnity of the ones who already went ahead to the afterlife too soon. The men and women present were covered in bandages of varying lengths and body parts; Hajime and Toru on the other hand had dark circles shading heavily below their eyes as they have to make up the number of healers needed to heal their comrades’ injuries as well, but they too were just as in pain as everyone for their healing water won’t glow just as brightly as before.

Silences weighs heavily on the two best friends present. No one dares to speak up on the gravity of the situation until one of the young warriors, Mishka, grits his teeth glowering “They’re not going to give up no matter what strategies we’re going to come up tonight. Give up! I’m already getting sick and tired of this--” without finishing his word, a furious Iwaizumi grabs him by the collar, tired of hearing the same nonsense from him all over again “If you say that kind of shit one more time I swear to La you’ll regret it!”

“Hajime stop this!” Elder Iwaizumi yells at him, his eyes giving an admonishing glare to which Hajime remained defiant. “Please Iwa!” Oikawa calls out to him seemingly tired from the same sight he keeps on witnessing every war council since Kyotani was captured. Hajime refuses to look again to them focusing on the bastard’s mug “Look at you! Look at us! There’s only two of you left! What can we possibly do with--” he quickly cuts off Mishka by slapping him causing Oikawa to rush over.

“How dare you say that to me.” His eyes steeled to Mishka shivering from fear. “How dare you say that to our tribesmen who laid their lives for your puny ass and to us who are still standing. I’M HERE YOU BUFFOON! OIKAWA’S HERE! If you add a strong person with another person, that makes two strong person. Now add six! Six people is Six people strong!” 

“Hajime enough.” The Chief slams the table rattling the map and the board pieces. Loosening his hold on the shaken warrior, grumbling as he return to his seat. Chief sighs then turns to his son trying his best to put up a comforting demeanor everyone needed “Looks like we’ll rest… for now… Meeting adjourned.” 

That night, the two friends wordlessly decided to stay at Toru’s room for the night, sitting on his plush bed. Neither of them dare to speak, the silence weighing heavily like a polar bear dog hide. “Iwa-chan,” Iwaizumi turns his head towards Oikawa who’s looking towards the moon in its full peak. “Listen, I have a plan.” “I’m already listening dumbass.” He huffs at the prince instead which shocked Toru as Hajime would usually interrupt him whenever he starts to say something BS. Toru, still basking in the moonlight, inhales then sighs 

“We can’t leave the future waterbenders without a master by their side and certainly, they’re targeting you now for capsizing multitude of their ships.” 

_ No he can’t possibly- _

“I don’t want to see any more of our people dying in agony from fighting these monsters so I’d like you,” he faces his best friend now looking at him incredulously but Oikawa’s eyes steeled into a chief-like authority, his voice dropping “To hide tomorrow, pretend you’re dead and I will let myself be captured for the sake of everyone.” 

**_“This is an order.”_ **

In a blink of eye, Toru found himself being lifted in his collar the air with Hajime baring his teeth and furrowed brows “I have the hunch you will say bullshit like this but,” Iwaizumi faces him, yelling “I can’t believe you’re ACTUALLY buying in this defeatist bullshit! Are you fucking nuts?! Why the fucking hell are you now speaking this kind of nonsense out of all the times we’re together!” 

Toru looks at him, frustration and exhaustion etched over his face—his supple skin now replaced with paleness and bruises littering his forehead. “Do you think I wanted this to happen Hajime? DO I? Then pray tell me what else can we think about?! Your father and my father are already injured beyond recognition!” In no time, Iwaizumi releases his grip on his best friend as silence fell once more on the two as Hajime gave him a forlorn look. They looked away to each other for a while

_ You’re the prince, everyone will need you here. _

Sobs fill the air as tears blur Oikawa’s vision as they knew at this point they are left with little to no choice—the cruelty of fate giving them a bad hand. Then he breaks the silence saying “Hajime, I’m scared.” But the next thing he meekly whispers widens Iwaizumi’s eyes “I’m scared to lose  **you** .” Iwaizumi grunts, raised his voice and pinned Tooru to the wall to force him to look at him. "You think I'm not scared too you dumbass?! That's why I was angry at you! I don't want you to leave me alone here as my hairs turn gray and getting wrinkled like a damn sea prune!" his voice already cracked, tears streaming out of his eyes.

_ Hairs turned gray? So it wasn’t just me after all…? _

Resting his head on the crook of Tooru's shoulders, Hajime hugs him tighter than usual "I would rather die in their hands than to see you getting boarded into the ship like Mattsun, Makki and Kyotani.” he whispers albeit muffled “Please spirits, anyone but you Toru..."

**_“I can’t imagine a life without you.”_ **

Oikawa giggles with tears welling up again shocking Iwaizumi “I thought I was the only one!” “Yeah you’re not,” Iwaizumi still resting his head on his best friend’s shoulder. “If only you’re not too focused on yourself and hitting ladies, you would have noticed.” Tooru lifts his head seeing his beloved’s visage ugly with tears but it never mattered to him anyway as he presses his forehead against his. “Oh Iwa-chan…”  ****

Without any warning, Iwaizumi captures the prince’s soft lips which made the tension on Oikawa’s shoulders gone in an instant as he also returns the kiss in ardent fervor. Alas, everyone needed to breathe even in the heat of this moment. Tooru whine from the loss of contact only to feel small strip of cloth wrapped on his neck by a blushing Hajime, the prince’s eyes widening in surprise. “A betrothal necklace?” his fingertips grazed on the cold grooves of the pendant—the crest of the Southern Water Tribe despite the necklace being a Northern Water Tribe tradition. Hajime scratches the back of his neck, trying “What the hell do you think it is?” ****

Tooru pulls him back into a warm embrace, a warm laughter bubbled in his chest “So this means I’m your idiot forever?” A small smile forms on Hajime’s face “Well I didn’t gave you this necklace if you aren’t dumbass.” “Meanie!” Oikawa pouts then giggles again as he places his arms over Hajime’s shoulder. As the moon shined upon them in that moment, there is no war to think about, the horrors dawning upon them nor are they just being friends and comrades at arms. To these two-- in that perfect moment alone, they're only two young people in love sharing a kiss and making love on the moonlight as they savoring the moments of little freedom they have with Tui as the witness to their love. ****

Quiet as a mouse, Tooru leaves the still sleepy Hajime on his side then rushed to the doors as he puts his face mask.

* * *

He huffed and puffed. He reckoned he might’ve taken down dozens of soldiers at this point but who cares now that he’s surrounded? Everything felt like a blur at this moment for Tooru as his wrists were shackled then nudging him to walk. Suddenly, all hell broke loose as a large tentacle with ice blades on its tips swooped the regiment leaving them to scramble a bit in surprise dragging the prince along with them.

“Tooru what the fucking hell?!” 

His eyes widened at the owner’s voice “Iwa-chan what are you doing?!” he desperately calls out to his beloved now with bloodlust filling his very eyes. Hajime is indeed the strongest in their tribe as the other soldiers scampered for their armours to get away from the sharpness and power behind his moves.

He was no longer Iwaizumi the Warrior—from the shadows an unstoppable force of wrath. But unlike the great moon that gives them strength and the damned sun that continues to surge power to the invaders, he is just as human/but a mortal as the rest of their brothers and sisters living and deceased. 

In a flash, Hajime, panting and battered to the bone, was surrounded by streams of flames with one of it piercing his ribcage in a crunch. Silent horror dawned on the catatonic pair of chocolate brown eyes it didn’t hit to the prince until tears welled on seeing that horrid sight- “HAJIME! HAJIME!” a bloodcurdling shriek escapes his lips, struggled with his bound hands to get away from the grip of the soldiers to reach out to his beloved bleeding.

His beloved’s blood seeping and mingling with the other dried up rusty ochre through the snow, shaking hands trying to reach out to him as Hajime’s eyes slowly losing luster becomes the last cruel memory given by the closing ships of the vessels to Tooru. 

* * *

The silence that affords him in detention was unbearable, save for the degrading language and verbal abuse hurtled at his direction, on their trek as a POW in Fire Nation. If there’s one thing that has kept him in sound mind is the consolation that there were no longer waterbenders the Fire Nation had to set pillage upon and that maybe, he would get to see Mattsun and everyone else. At least that was what he was hoping- none of their fathers and their have to suffer immensely just like the last time.

  
  
He was awakened at one point in that arduous journey one night as it felt warmer that night. That warmth is something akin to a tropical nation- definitely far away from the poles now then the cell door opened and without any warning a cold command fell on him “Strip.” Tooru knew better than rebelling when odds are stacked against him he quickly sheds off the luxurious polar bear dog coat bearing the royal family insignia, aside from the necklace he squirrelled away on his butt, donning the rags being given to him. The quick eyes of the soldier watching him the whole time didn’t failed to notice that particular action as he shoves the prince on the ground “Didn’t I tell you to strip? That means everything you have on your body,  _ your highness. _ ” The guard pulls the necklace out of his grasp “No! Give it back you fucker!--” a sharp pain felt on his sides, being kicked hard on his sides while the guards chuckled at the pitiful display before hearing the clack of keys locking his cell.

The warden leading him to his facility never stopped singing in glee and catching glances as if they finally won a jackpot “Well, I hope you would feel warmly welcomed in your new home~” the warden, sickeningly sweet smile still plastered on his lips, clearing his throat as the gates opened. The tone of the warden’s voice dropped an octave “What a surprise!” the rest of the villagers looked in resignation at the warden which quickly shifted to astonishment then disbelief “Your pretty boy prince has arrived!” the smile remains presenting Tooru as if he were a rare hunt worthy of behold to a monarch.

Tooru’s eyes widened upon the sight- they were no ordinary cells found in dungeons he hears on stories nor the ones he had in detention rather they were huge cages suspended in the air with no source of water nearby. Everything felt muffled for the Prince as he was scooted to his cell until a familiar gruff voice snapped him back to reality “Tooru?” he looked to the owner of the voice, it was his friend Mad Dog beside him. “Ah Mad Dog-chan,” Tooru smiled. Before extending more of his greetings, Kyotani held the bars of his cell, cut it off and eager to see his friend “If you’re gonna ask me about Mattsun and Makki… they rebelled and were sent away never to be seen again.” Oikawa then scanned his eyes to see any signs of their other friends—none except Kyoutani still looking at him. “How about Iwaizumi? What happened to him?”

As it was just weeks since it happened, the last moments of Iwaizumi replayed in Oikawa’s mind unaware that his dead emotionless stare caused until he heard sighs and sobs from the people he was surrounded with realized what it meant-- Iwaizumi is  **gone** and South Pole was now  **fully eradicated** of waterbenders.

* * *

Tooru wakes up by himself this time. He sees both his hunting gear beside him and wardrobe near his doorstep-- The beddings were just as plush as how he usually wanted but the sun is now rising high in the sky so to hell with breakfast for him. People go and about their village again doing their usual duties, however none of them greeted him which he just disregards as he looked for a raven-haired someone. His chocolate brown eyes widened, eyes crinkling in mirth as he finally found that raven-haired someone was standing near the battlements “IWA-CHAN!” Iwaizumi turns his head to that familiar shrill he grown to love and “OOF!” he felt a weight jumped on him. Tooru hugs him tighter, caressing Iwaizumi’s face “Hajime, you’re here! I’m home!” Hajime wordlessly hugs him even tighter, peppering his face with kisses “You,” he pulls him even tighter “Where have you been?! I miss you so much idiot and you woke up yourself this time!” A hearty laughter escapes the prince’s lips “Doesn’t matter now! Let’s go home I miss you so much!” 

But… suddenly everything freezes, Iwaizumi’s hands remained stuck Tooru’s face though tears continued to stream his face. 

**_“I love you Tooru.”_ **

* * *

“Oikawa.”

“TOORU!” 

He jolted awake, only to see arms wrapped around himself, from another voice nearby, it was Kyotani hold the bars of his cells as he looked to his friend “You were dreaming and calling out Iwaizumi…” Tooru touched his cheek, traced the trail of tears that streamed on it “Oh…” he looked back to Mad Dog still not looking away from him. “Thanks a lot Mad Dog-chan,” Oikawa singsongs smiling softly at him. He just snorts at his smile turning his back to him to sleep “Pipe it down, the guards might hear you.”

Silence blanketed the surroundings, waiting for Mad Dog to fall asleep once more. Sleep doesn’t fall again to the young prince as the moonlight gently, no, mockingly showering his face with her light.

**_“He could’ve been alive. We could have gotten married.”_ **

On his musings, he absentmindedly touched his lips. It was dry and chapped just like when the bitterest, driest, wintry chill falls upon them but he didn’t have any of the expensive tigerseal blubber lip balm to soothe it. He could ask for water though, it won’t hurt right? As soon as he asked for the guards water, suddenly chains sprung out to bind both his hands  _ and _ feet. But waterbending only utilizes hands he thought as a cup of water is shoved in his mouth making him drink it up like the animal he is. He then realized that Mattsun and Makki might have figured out a way to bend water with feet as they were really experimental with their moves back then. Getting water really hurts.

Months in, and the elderly benders then the younger die one by one from their sickness borne from these conditions. Stress? Pneumonia from sleeping on that cold hard metal? Who knew? The Fire Nation didn’t even deign him dignity to know what happened to his other friends that disappeared in prison or even know how much longer before he would be set free. The moon rises and falls with the each coming of months seeing his other tribesmen succumbing one by one still enriching everyone with strength.

In one of the nights where the moon revealed its full glory, Oikawa watched another one of his comrades being lifted out of the cell lifeless- a scene he had witnessed for numerous times. To the prince he doesn’t know how to react anymore with the losses he just can’t help but watch. However in that fateful night, his eyes sprung back to life upon seeing that one detail as that guard hauled the body to the bag- a sweat dripping his chin. 

How could I forget it? He thought unconsciously smiling over the epiphany he had- from the meager water being shoved unto them to make them live barely to that sweatdrop on that guard’s chin that, “Where there is life there is  **water** .” Tooru whispers as he chuckles to himself. Kyotani still trying to hold his tears notices then noticed the sudden shift in his friend’s mood ‘Is he losing it? How can he laugh at this misery? ’ “Oh Mad Dog-chan,” The smile didn’t left his lips as he faces him, making the other male jumped away a bit. I just realized that sometimes we are so engrossed with our suffering that we forgot the simplest truths in life.”

When everyone else is asleep that night, he darted his eyes to see any signs of the guards going to their wing. None he thought then those annoying elephant rats, that he kept on flicking and kick out of his cell, scurried on the floor of his cage as it always did. 

_ There really is water in places we never think about.  _

As the rat stood still, Oikawa raising his arms a bit and moving it in a familiar motion he always remembers himself doing. With harsh clipped raise of his arm, the rat froze in place earning a squeak of pain in experimental fashion, he lowers the said arm next then claws and waves his hand back and forth- the rat went to the same direction. However, sun slowly rises in the horizon- a victory for the poor rat as it scampered away with its pathetic life. As he watches the poor creature flee, Tooru then looks at both of his hands secretly reveling this sensation for it feel like he met again a long lost friend. 

__

_ Who knew it’s possible to bend in these circumstances? _

__

With more rising and falling of the moon cycles, Oikawa managed to have an ample amount of time dabbling in various techniques he was experimenting on. One day, on the eve of his 28 th birthday the rats across all the almost empty cages within his vicinity frozen standing just like the first rat he experimented a decade ago ‘Now I am ready’ he smirks looking at the full moon hovering them. 

The lone guard for the night, the same guard who made him strip years ago, strutted around with the other betrothal necklaces used as key chains jingled with every step “I wonder what I’m going to eat for breakfast tomorrow.” The man singsongs then suddenly his arm pulled forward, patting and grabbing the keys in his holster. Suddenly, his body jerk forward to the Prince’s cell, bending the guard while Oikawa smirks as he opens his cell as well as Mad Dog’s. Hopping off the cage, he pins down the guard to the ground rendering the guard unconscious by the force. 

Jumping to his friend’s cage, he shakes the young man “Mad Dog-chan, oi wake up.” The young man slowly opens his eyes from the shake but a second look of his friend shocked the Prince. Kyotani, now thin and battered from all the years they took from being prisoner-- a far cry of who he once were- looks at him back quickly “O-oikawa, what the? How?” “There’s not much time! Hurry! I will explain to you later.” He pulled his right arm but Kyotani refuses to move as much of an inch.

“You should just go ahead.” The young man croaked, voice almost a whisper. “But!” Tooru protests but is quickly cut off “I’m in no longer in great condition to bend properly and help you fend off against the guards.” Mad Dog gripped Oikawa’s wrists to make him listen “Even if you claim you can do it, I’m going to put you in even more precarious situation as you will have to think about how you’ll defend me.” Oikawa looks away from him sobbing—Mad Dog wasn’t the type to tell these things but for once, he knew he was right.

__

Kyotani whispered to him "Go," while he smiles softly, knowing that would be his parting gift to his dear friend. Oikawa hops off the cage, pinning the guard once more as he snatches the only thing that reminded him of his past life, the bethrotal necklace, in his cage key.

__

With unsteady gait and off-kilter motions, he ran free for the first time in decades.


End file.
